York High’s boys basketball team knew before the season started it had the talent and desire to go after a state championship.
The Wildcats are one win away.
York displayed a gritty desire, coupled with speed, size and strength, to gradually pull away away from Medomak Valley in a battle of unbeaten teams Friday, winning 50-40 in the Class B South final at the Portland Expo.
“To go to the state championship, it’s just something we all dreamed of as kids,” said junior Reece MacDonald.
York will face Caribou (20-1) at 2:45 p.m. on March 1 at Cross Insurance Arena.
Five years ago, MacDonald and York senior point guard Ryan Cummins were among the youngsters in the stands watching as another unbeaten York team, led by their older brothers, Will MacDonald and Brady Cummins, lost to Hampden Academy in the Class A final.
“We obviously watched five years ago up at the Cross Insurance (Arena) when York didn’t get it done, and that motivated us to get back up there and we did that. So it just feels amazing,” MacDonald said.
No. 2 York and No. 1 Medomak Valley were both 20-0 entering Friday’s game. At halftime, the score was tied, 20-20. York got the edge in the third quarter behind six points each from MacDonald and center Lukas Bouchard to take a 34-27 lead into the fourth quarter.
Bouchard led York in scoring with 16 points, and MacDonald finished with 14 after a slow shooting start.
Behind Bouchard’s inside scoring and a bucket from Lucas Ketchum that momentarily balanced on the rim before dropping in, the margin was still seven points, 44-37, with 1:19 to play.
That’s when a comeback door was thrown wide open for Medomak Valley. Gabe Lash drew Bouchard’s fifth foul and Bouchard, upset with that call and several previous calls, was given a technical foul as he walked to his bench.
That meant the Panthers would get four foul shots and the ensuing possession.
“Down seven. We had a chance to go down three with the ball,” Medomak coach Nick DePatsy summarized.
Lash missed two free throws and Kristian Schumann missed the first of the two technical shots. On the ensuing possession, Mason Nguyen’s close-range shot rimmed out and York guard Jack Joyce ripped down the rebound.
“That was the last thing you want to have happen in this situation. I’m an aggressive player. My emotions got the best of me,” Bouchard said. “You live and you learn. But we’ve got 16 guys on the bench that had my back. We got lucky on a couple of foul shots there, but we sealed the deal when we needed to.”
Seconds later, Ketchum converted a Cummins pass, and the lead was back to eight points. Medomak did get it down to six with 32 seconds to play on a basket by Nguyen (team-high 12 points), but MacDonald made two free throws and a late breakaway layup.
In the first half before a large and loud crowd featuring strong student sections from both teams, the matchup was dead even.
Each big man — Rocco DePatsy of Medomak Valley and Bouchard — had six points. York won the first quarter by five points, 14-9. Medomak won the second quarter by five points, 11-6. Most striking was the sticky man-to-man defense for both teams that forced the offenses to demonstrate good shot-making and extra-effort moves to get baskets and took away the other team’s open 3-point shots.
York held Lash, a Mr. Maine semifinalist, to nine points, with first Ketchum and then Joyce as the primary defender. Rocco DePatsy scored 10 points, but just two in the second half.
“I thought our team defense was outstanding tonight,” said Matt Regan, York’s first-year coach.
“They’re the most physical team we’ve seen. And the quickest and fastest,” said Nick DePatsy. “That’s a good team. We’re a good team. Just a couple of breaks here and there.”
York will now have a week to prepare for one final game, for the game they’ve been preparing for all season.
“We’ve been talking about it in the summer,” Bouchard said. “We knew we could do it, but to actually get here is a different thing. Now with a week left, nothing changes. We dig in. We do what we do, and come Saturday, we’ll be ready to play.”
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